2012 cars with best resale value: top rated brands are Toyota, Lexus

How much a vehicle costs when you buy it or lease it is just one part of the equasion. You also need to factor in how that vehicle rates for operating costs, maintenance costs and resale value.

Since depreciation — or loss of value — is typically a car buyer’s biggest cost expense during ownership, you should consider the resale price after the typical ownership period of two years to five years.

Your new car typically loses around one-third of its value the moment you drive it off the dealer lot, meaning that a $50,000 new car today will only be worth just around $17,750 after five years. Some models and manufacturers hold their value better than others, based on supply and demand, as well as current and projected future market conditions and continued buyer interest.

According to Kelley Blue Book, these 2012 cars retain the best value — and the highest resale price — after a period of ownership–

2012 best resale value overall by brand is Toyota, and the 2102 best resale value for a luxury brand is Lexus

List of 2012 BEST RESALE VALUE BY VEHICLE CATEGORY …

SUBCOMPACT CAR: Honda Fit

COMPACT SUV: Jeep Wrangler

COMPACT CAR: Honda Civic

MID-SIZE SUV: Toyota FJ Cruiser

MID-SIZE CAR: Toyota Camry

FULL-SIZE SUV: Chevrolet Traverse

FULL-SIZE CAR: Nissan Maxima

LUXURY SUV: Audi Q7

NEAR-LUXURY CAR: Lexus IS

HYBRID SUV: Lexus RX 450h

LUXURY CAR: Audi A5

MID-SIZE PICKUP: Toyota Tacoma

SPORTS CAR: Chevrolet Camaro V-6

FULL-SIZE PICKUP: Ford F-Series Super Duty

HIGH-PERFORMANCE CAR: Chevrolet Camaro SS

VAN: Honda Odyssey

HYBRID CAR: Honda Civic Hybrid

WAGON: Subaru Outback

ELECTRIC CAR: Chevrolet Volt

List of top ten 2012 best resale value cars on next page

TOP TEN 2012 BEST RESALE VALUE CARS

2012 Chevrolet Volt offers one of best resale values2012 BEST RESALE VALUE: TOP 10 CARS

Audi Q7

Jeep Wrangler

Chevrolet Camaro

Lexus RX

Honda CR-V

Nissan Frontier

Hyundai Tucson

Toyota FJ Cruiser

Infiniti FX

Toyota Tacoma

Consider all costs — purchase or leasing price, MPG gas mileage, monthly maintenance, and resale value — when shopping for a new car.

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ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and guidebook and smartphone app author – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer. Contact me at [email protected]

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